Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-12
State AFFAIRS.
-
The University Land Bill is Debated
in The Senate and Finally Passed
to Engrossment,
Representative Browning Introduces
Bill in the House to Regulate
the Sale OF Fresh Beef.
The Amend ment Requiring Foreigners to
Become Citizens Before They Can Own
Lands Discussed.
TO NATURALIZE ALIENS.
Snecial to the Gazette.

ing amendment 10 Inc JOINT resolution
to require foreigners to become natural
lied citizens under the laws of the United
States before they can acquire title to
lands in Texas, PROVOKED anocher lengthy
The substance of this amendment is to
allow aliens who have heretofore voted
under the old law prior to January, 1887 :,
by declaring their intention to become
citizens, shall be exempt from the pro-
visions of this act, provided when the
time expires for taking out their natural
ization papers they comply with the Lax
and actually become bona file
citizens. Failing to do so they
| are prohibited from acquiring any title
from the state to any public lands.
The argument took wide range and can
vassed very nearly all of the constitu-
tional grounds and statutory publications.
of existing laws. The opponents OF the
amendment seemed to rely more on an
attempt to show the injustice of the
| measure, and representation of the
thrift and law-sbidmg qualities of Ger
mans and other foreign-born people who
come here and declare their intention to
become citizens. This was met by the
advocates of the measure with the argu-
ment that no foreigner should be entitled
to the privileges and rights of citizenship
until he was willing to assume all the re
sponsibility that such citizenship required
at his hands, such as bearing arms and
sitting on the juries, and other duties.
The amendment was adopted and the bill
passed to engrossment.
THE UNIVERSITY LAND BILL.
The bill to provide for the exclusive
management and control of the lands Of
the University of Texas by the board OF
regents with power to sell a lease was
The bone of contention in the Senate dur
ing the greater part of the morning SEES
sion. 1t was taken up by sections, read
and amended.
Senator Houston attempted to amend
by striking out the entire section of the
bill, relating to contracts of sale or lease
made by the said board, claiming that it
appeared to him 10 be setting up minia-
ture land board, with all its evils at
tached.
Senator Harrison opposed the striking
out of section 2, because the lands should
be placed in responsible hands and used
for the best interests of the university.
ton was adopted as resd. Several
changes were made in section 3, defining
the powers of the board of regents so that
they can bring suit in the name of the
state to enforce contracts, recover pos
session and settle all questions of dis
puted boundaries.
Section 4, relating to and prohibiting
the sale of the lands to actual settlers,
was amended limiting the minimum price
to 50 per acre.
Section 6, which prohibits the lease of
the lands TO foreign corporations, was
substituted and made to read that no
portion of the said lands shall be sold to
any corporation except for such purposes
as corporations are now permitted bv the
law Of this state to incorporate
The bill passed to engrossment.
GENERAL RAILWAY OFFICES
Mr.. GOeth will introduce bill to
compel railroad companies doing bust
ness within this state to keep their gem
ersl offices at some point within the
boundaries and repeal the law by which
said companies have heretofore evaded
the constitutional clause requiring tie
same, which, i, IL understood, relates to
the general agency clause.
TO STRENGTHEN THE MECHANICS len |
LAW.
Mr.. Kirlicks will introduce tomorrow |
a bill to strengthen the mechanics md |
labOrers' lien law so that those furnishing |
material and labor will nave more Sc
cure lien, not to be INSTRUCTED by home !
stead limits.
TO REGULATE THE SALE OF FRESH BEBF.
Mr.. Bro wing introduced the following !
bill TO to be entitled "An act to regulate
the sale of fresh beef by persons other
than regular butchers in cities, towns and |
villages"
Section l. Be it enscted by the Legisla-
ture of the State of Texas. that it shall be
unlawful fer any person other than
regular butcher in city, town or village
to sell, or ate mpt to sell, unless he pro- |
duces the hide. including the ears of /
such beef for examination by any person
who may desire to examine it.
Sec. =. Any person violating the pro-
visions Of this act shall be fined in any
sum not less than s25 nor more than
800.
WILL INJURE THE EFFICIENCY.
Those whose experience in the educa-
-ional department, gained by years OF
familiarity with its duties, say that the
reduction OF the number of clerks and the
lowering of the salaries proposed, will
cripple the efficiency of the department
and consequently prove injurious to the
public schools. 1t is claimed by the
friends of the bill now pending before the
House, undergoing amendments, that it
was the production of much laborious
'ainstaking on the part OF the
of Public Instruction
md prominent teachers to raise our
ystem of education to q standard equal
o any state in the Union, and they hope
hat the members will not let their ideas
If retrenchment and reform cause them
o lose,sight of the means necessary 10
AIRY on an efficient system of educating
he children of Texas.
THE FIRST TIE.
The Senate gave Lieutenant Governor
Wheeler chance to exercise his fran
hise by casting his vote to break the tie :
4 motion to dispense with the reading !
+ the journal. He was equal to the